Luke 19:1-10
Everyone is welcome here at North Hilliard Baptist Church either in the sanctuary or online on Facebook and YouTube.
Today, we're look at one of my favorite stories this morning. As I listened to the song Adam sang, Jesus, friend of sinners, by Casting Crowns, I was amazed how it flows with todays message.
Zacchaeus was a sinner. Jesus didn't go to the religious folks, the Pharisees or Sadducees. He went to the folks that needed Him. I'm so grateful that He does. If He didn't, I don't know where any of us would be.
Zacchaeus was a chief among the publicans and a rich man, but was a short man. Do you remember the song, Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and wee little man was he?
I'm so glad, we don't have to climb sycamore trees to see Jesus. I'm thankful God doesn't require anything of us other than to accept Him.We need to be thankful for all that the Lord does for us.
Jesus was on His way to Jerusalam, to the cross. And He made a detour to Jericho just to see Zacchaeus.
Jesus doesn't do anything for coincidence. I don't believe in luck, or chance, things happen by the will of God.
In His mind, Jesus knew He was heading to all the mockery, the beatings, the torture, and the cross. He didn't have to do that but He did that because He loves us. He will leave the 99 to get the 1.
Publicans were tax collectors. They would by a plot of land and would collect the taxes for the Romans that they had to pay. But they also collected for themselves.
The Jewish people didn't like Zacchaeus. And of all the things the world had to offer Zacchaeus, he knew he wanted something different. He found that in Jesus. Eventhough, Zacchaeus had heard a lot of different stories about Jesus. He wanted to know Jesus for himself.
Mark 8:36
If you don't know that you know, that you know, that you are saved, then you need Jesus today.
Satan doesn't want you serving the Lord Jesus. He will give you every excuse as to why you don't need church. Anything you put before Jesus, is an idol; drugs, alcohol, sex, cellphones, T.V., video games, etc. If you put anything before Jesus, you're committing the sin of idolatry.
We can't let anything seperate us from God.
If you're unsure about your salvation, then you need to come to the altar and ask Jesus to come into your heaert and to save your soul. When you get saved, the peace that envelopes us is wonderful. We need to shout it from the mountain tops.
Jesus went to a sinners house when He went to the home of Zacchaeus. And when Jesus saved his soul, Zacchaeus didn't have the love of money anymore. and he told Jesus as such.
What would you rather do? Spend eternity in Heave with Jesus in peace or spend eternity in Hell with the tortures, and being burned in the lake of fire?
Jesus is the ONLY way to Salvation!!!
If you're like Zacchaeus, then there's no better time to be saved by the grace of Jesus.
How to be saved:
- Believe/accept your sinner and need Jesus
- Believe that Jesus is the only way.
- Confess our sins with our mouths.